The difference between a “special” and an “event” might seem like mere semantics, but for bars and restaurants, it represents a significant shift in how customers perceive your offering and how much revenue you can generate.
While a discount or promotion might temporarily boost numbers, transforming these specials into full-fledged events (which might be easier than it sounds) creates memorable experiences that build community, foster loyalty, and drive sustainable growth.
Based on our experience promoting over 80,000 events, we’ve gathered compelling insights about why this transformation matters and how your establishment can make it happen.
Why Turn Your Promotions Into Events?
Beyond Discounting
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: constant discounting erodes your profit margins and trains customers to wait for deals. Our data shows that events drive engagement without requiring heavy discounting. Instead of slashing prices, you’re adding value through experiences.
Reach New Marketing Channels
According to our 2025 Event Promotion Trends Report, a significant benefit of positioning your promotion as an event is gaining access to marketing channels you normally can’t reach.
Community event calendars, local newsletters, and “things to do” websites represent powerful traffic sources that don’t feature regular happy hours but eagerly promote unique events.
Build Customer Loyalty
For food and beverage businesses, customer loyalty is everything. The lifetime value of repeat customers makes your business sustainable. Events create stronger emotional connections than simple promotions, turning occasional visitors into regulars and regulars into ambassadors.
Create “Marketable Moments”
Events give you something distinctive to showcase on social media beyond your regular menu items. They provide natural content opportunities that generate engagement without feeling like advertising.
Top-Performing Bar & Restaurant Events
Based on our analysis of thousands of promotions, these restaurant event formats consistently outperform traditional specials:
1. Themed Brunches
Our data shows themed brunches are among the highest-performing events for restaurants. Blues Brunch and Drag Brunch consistently rank at the top of our metrics for engagement and attendance. These events transform a standard offering (weekend brunch) into an experience worth planning for and talking about.
2. Watch Parties
Sports fan events represent a top-performing category in our platform. The beauty of watch parties lies in their simplicity – you’re leveraging existing infrastructure (TVs) and adding community viewing experiences. They perform exceptionally well during major sporting events but can work year-round with creative thinking (award shows, season premieres, etc.).
3. Trivia Nights
According to our “19 Creative Event Types That Dominated Our 19,153 Promotions In 2023” analysis, trivia nights rank prominently among successful recurring events. They’re particularly effective for slower weeknights and create habitual attendance patterns.
4. Seasonal Festivals
Our data shows winter months (September through February) surprisingly outperform summer for indoor events. People actively seek social indoor activities during colder weather, making this an ideal time to launch seasonal event concepts.
Want more event ideas? Check out our 24 Proven Restaurant Event Ideas to Bring in More Customers blog post.
How to Transform Specials Into Events
1. Add Entertainment Elements
The simplest way to transform a special into an event is by adding entertainment. Examples include:
- Live music during happy hour
- DJ for late-night specials
- Comedy during slower nights
- Live painters or artists creating work on-site
2. Create a Themed Experience
Themes elevate basic promotions into immersive experiences:
- Turn “Taco Tuesday” into a “Taco & Tequila Festival” with specialty drinks and Mexican-inspired decor
- Transform standard brunch into themed experiences (Drag Brunch, Blues Brunch, etc.)
- Convert basic happy hour into themed events (80’s Night, Y2K, etc.)
3. Add Interactive Elements
Engagement transforms passive consumption into active participation:
- Food or drink tastings with voting components
- DIY food/cocktail stations where guests create their own items
- Games or competitions tied to your offerings
4. Partner With Local Organizations
Collaborations instantly elevate your promotion:
- Local brewery takeovers
- Charity partnerships where proceeds benefit community causes
- Cross-promotions with complementary businesses
Case Study: Monday Night Cookout
A Pittsburgh gastropub transformed their slowest night (Monday) from a money-loser into a profitable event with minimal additional overhead:
- The Concept: Instead of simply discounting Monday meals, they closed the kitchen and fired up a grill on their back patio.
- The Menu: Offered a limited but affordable menu compared to their standard offerings.
- The Atmosphere: Hired a DJ who brought their own equipment to create a vibrant atmosphere.
- The Result: Packed house every Monday, driving significant revenue on what was previously their slowest night.
The key insight: Rather than just offering “Monday discounts,” they created a distinctive experience that customers specifically planned to attend.
Seasonal Considerations
Our data shows that winter months (September through February) consistently outperform for indoor events. According to our 2025 Event Promotion Trends Report, there’s solid and consistent interest in events from Halloween through New Year’s, with notable lifts around St. Patrick’s Day and Independence Day.
This creates perfect opportunities for seasonal event concepts like:
- Oktoberfest celebrations
- Holiday-themed brunches
- Winter cocktail festivals
- New Year’s countdown events
Promotion Best Practices
Positioning your special as an event requires different promotional tactics:
1. Leverage Event Calendars
Submit your events to local community event calendars. This represents a significant untapped marketing channel for most restaurants and bars.
2. Create Event-Specific Social Content
Our analysis of social media effectiveness shows 31 different post types that work well for event promotion. Beyond just announcing the event, consider:
- Behind-the-scenes preparation
- Spotlight on special offerings
- Countdown posts
- Testimonials from previous attendees
3. Start Promoting Early
Our data shows that events promoted 30+ days from the start date get 156% more clicks according to our data. Events promoted 50+ days out get 188% more clicks.
4. Don’t Neglect Email Marketing
While social media is important, email marketing remains highly effective for event promotion. Send targeted invitations to your loyalty members with exclusive pre-registration or VIP options.
Measuring the Success of An Event Program
When transforming promotions into events, track these metrics:
- Attendance – Raw numbers compared to typical nights
- Revenue – Total and per-guest average (events should drive higher per-guest spending)
- New Customer Acquisition – How many first-time visitors did the event attract?
- Social Media Engagement – User-generated content featuring your event
- Return Rate – How many event attendees return for regular service?
Getting Started: Your Action Plan
- Identify Your Slowest Period: Target your transformation efforts where you need the most improvement.
- Choose Your Event Type: Select from our top-performing formats based on your venue and audience.
- Add Distinctive Elements: Transform from promotion to event with entertainment, themes, or interactive components.
- Create Your Marketing Plan: Leverage event calendars, social media, and email lists with sufficient lead time.
- Measure and Iterate: Track performance metrics and refine your approach with each iteration.
Conclusion
The distinction between “just another special” and “an event worth attending” makes all the difference in today’s competitive hospitality landscape.
Transforming your promotions into events creates experiences that customers actively seek out rather than discounts they passively consume.
For multi-location operations, event-based field marketing offers scalable concepts that can be adapted to local markets while maintaining brand consistency.
Our data shows that events consistently outperform traditional promotions across metrics that matter: attendance, revenue, customer acquisition, and loyalty.
Want help promoting your events and advice on how to make your events more exciting? Schedule some time with us to learn how we can help with promotion for your restaurant.
